Dance of the Knights
by Ken Giovanni
Summary: Ryoshi Morino is a high school student from Texas who was sent to Japan to finish his education after the untimely death of his father during his service in the U.S. Army. One day, Ryoshi has a run in with members of the Otogi Bank, an organization which provides aid to the students of Otogibana High. Using his skills as a marksman, Ryoshi aids the bank in its endeavors.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: My Name is Ken Aurborum Giovanni and this story is my first jab at an Okami-san fic! This is Chapter of a multi-chapter story and along with a new story is a new goal! This story will have a regular update schedule of every 2 weeks at the latest (unless I specify that there will be a late upload). I've never been very good with keeping up on updates but it's never too late change one's ways! Anywhoo, enjoy and tell me what you think about it! In the words of Frankieonpcin1080p: "I'll see you in the next chapter!"**_

_**P.S. I am open to questions so ask away! **_

**Okami-san and the Soldier of Fortune**

"Hey asshole! Get back here!"

It was a peculiar sight to behold. There it was, unfolding right in front of him, a rather petite brunette chasing what appears to be some sort of delinquent. They were heading down a street running perpendicular to a series of apartment buildings with small balconies. Naturally one of the residents would come out to check what all the commotion. Luckily that one resident was no other than socially awkward, introverted, and anxiety prone Ryoshi Morina. Ryoshi, at the moment, was busying himself with the weekly cleaning of his prized airsoft rifle (a bolt action short barrel rifle modeled after a Remington 700). To say it was his pride and joy would be an understatement. Nearly $500 USD in upgraded parts, several thousand rounds shot, and a little over a year to perfect the build. It was, in his eyes, an engineering marvel and his most prized possession.

He quickly reattached upper receiver of his R700 SBR to the stock and looked down the scope, surprised to see the petite brunette now confronting the thug who had pulled a knife on her. She didn't look too scared as she wrapped her hands with a thin strip of cloth. Thinking quickly, Ryoshi grabbed a preloaded magazine that sat on top of his desk, racked it into the rifle and cycled the bolt. He increased the magnification of his scope to 6x and waited for the opportune moment. It was about 35 yards to the target, no wind, ideal conditions for the shot. Hitting a man sized target at 300 feet was an easy task for him but hitting a head sized target 105 feet would take more finesse. He waited patiently, biding his time, trying to find an opening where he wouldn't hit the girl.

They were bobbing and weaving, constantly moving around, almost as if they were dancing (correction: almost as if _she _was dancing. She dodged gracefully, parrying the strikes every so often). He sat there, eyes behind his scope, simply in awe. Then...it happened...The boy brandishing the knife went for a lunge while the girl closed the distance, allowing for a clear headshot. Ryoshi pulled the trigger and sent an 6mm bb hurling at the target at an upwards of 700 fps. The bb hit the delinquent's head, right bellow the left eye which halted his charge and stunned him for a fraction of a second. However it was just enough time for the girl to throw a left hook the thug's jaw, following with a spinning elbow and finishing with a knee, effectively disarming and incapacitating him. Ryoshi quickly grabbed his tactical vest out of a locked case under his bead and put it on over his t-shirt; after accounting for his spare magazines and speed loaders, he placed his non-blowback, CO2 powered M1911 into his leg holster and ran out the door, downstairs, and into the streets towards the girl.

"Where is it?" Ryoko said angrily as she kicked the man who just tried to stab her, in the stomach.

"Where's what?!" Spluttered the thug on the ground.

"The bike you stole from that first year! It was blue, vintage road bike with a very distinct identification plate. I'm pretty sure I saw you riding yesterday by the docks!" Replied Ryoko, emphasizing her distaste with another kick to the solarplexes.

"In an abandoned warehouse...on the west side of town!" Coughed out the poor bastard on the floor.

Meanwhile, Ryoshi hid in the shadows, listening to the whole exchange with much interest.

"Asshole..." Ryoko said as she turned on her heels and headed back towards the main street.

Ryoshi had narrowly avoided detection by diving behind a dumpster.

Ryoko quickly turned towards Ryoshi's general directions, "Hmm...Come out now and maybe, you won't get beat up _too bad..._"

Ryoshi clamped his hands over his mouth to muffle the chattering of his teeth. He closed his eyes, silently praying to whatever divine deities came to his mind, praying that this strikingly beautiful yet deathly terrifying girl won't think to look behind a greasy dumpster.

After what seemed like decades, Ryoko decided it wasn't worth her time to pursue phantom noises and darted off westward. Naturally, Ryoshi's curiosity could not allow him fall back to the safety of his apartment, so he tailed her from a distance.

After a 10 minute jog at a safe distance, Ryoshi hunkered down behind a hill 50 yards from the warehouse. For good measure, he put on his tinted shooting glasses, balaclava, and hat. He had to make sure he wasn't recognized afterwords. He propped his elbow on the hill and steadied his rifle. Ryoko, approached the front entrance which closed immediately after she entered.

"Oh dear...oh...dear...ohdearohdear..." Ryoshi said, anxiety slowly settling in.

He slung his rifle across his back and darted towards the back of the ware house. He climbed a stack of tractor tires to an open window and lightly stepped onto a catwalk, hand hovering over his sidearm all the while.

_I should have brought the shotgun for this..._

That he should. Close quarters is no place for a bolt action rifle.

Ryoshi pulled out his pistol and pulled the hammer back to tighten the trigger pull. He took aim at guy up in the catwalk and sent a volley of 3 bb's towards him, all hitting on the right cheek, which was enough to send him off the edge into a 12 foot fall down into the fray bellow (luckily he had a few of his accomplices to break his fall). The others on the catwalk noticed their friend fall and frantically darted towards the center walk. Luckily, the area above the fray was pitch black allowing Ryoshi to maneuver undisturbed. He struck one on the back of the head with the butt of his pistol and tossed him aside, following through with a running tackle which sent the second one hurling towards the ground. The third one proved to be more difficult as he caught on to what was happening. He flicked open his knife and charged at Ryoshi, who disarmed the thug with a strike from the stock of his rifle, he then followed with a forward strike smashing the butt of his rifle against assailant's nose.

Ryoko was handling herself very well, per usual. So well in fact that she was too busy pounding away at baddie brandishing a shinai to notice one creeping up behind her with a lead pipe. Luckily for her Ryoshi flipped the safety off his rifle and took the shot, hitting him on top of the head, creating a distinct muffled thud on contact (like rain on a canvas). Ryoko's head quickly turned towards Ryoshi's position up in the catwalk. She saw a faint glint in the shadows but did not act upon it...at least not yet, there were more people charging straight towards her.

_She saw my scope glint...that's what I get for forgetting my killflash..._

Ryoshi kept up with his suppressive fire, taking down Ryoko's assailant's on by one. He was having fun, he had to admit, so much fun that he didn't notice the small girl in a very dark corner of the catwalks, videotaping him with a night vision camera.

Eventually, someone turned the spout of endless thugs off and now Ryoko stood in the middle of an abandoned warehouse with the bodies of badly beaten, knocked out, and embarrassed to death delinquents.

"I swear, they get bolder every week," Ryoko huffed, patting off the dust from her gloves and shoulders.

"Don't relax just yet, Ryoko. We have some company in the rafters," Ring said, appearing at Ryoko's side.

"Alright asshole! I know you're up there!" Ryoko yelled to the pitch black ceiling.

Startled by Ryoko's yelling, Ryoshi fell off kilter and fell backwards, failing to see that the guard rail had fell off the walkway. He landed in the middle of the room, face down in the dirt in front of Ryoko.

"Okay, you're going to drop your weapons then you're gonna tell me who you are and what you were doing," Ryoko said forcefully, raising her fists expecting a fight. Ryoshi stood up shakily, his eyes still covered by his tinted shooting glasses, hiding his wide watery eyes and giving him the thousand yard stare look of a true contractor.

Ryoshi was paralyzed with anxiety, fear, and (at the time he didn't know it) unequivocal love.

"Cat got your toungue? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!?" Ryoko yelled.

"Take it easy Ryoko, I think your scaring him," Ringo said.

"Like hell I am!"

Ryoko goes in for a haymaker hook, but Ryoshi, acting on reflexes, uses his rifle to block and tries to go for a thrusting riposte using the barrel of his gun. It misses by fractions of an inch allowing Ryoko to regain her bearings and set back up in her boxer's stance.

If Ryoko wasn't so angry, she might have commended the speed and form of Ryoshi's strikes but at the moment she was inexplicably _livid_.

"That's it punk! You're dead!" Ryoko goes in for another haymaker with a running start.

Ryoshi, too afraid for his life to panic, dodged the blow and used his rifle to block the second punch of the combo. Ryoko went in for the third blow, her gloved fist colliding with he side of Ryoshi's rifle, an audible crack rang inside the mechanism of the gun.

Ryoshi did the smart thing and slung his rifle across his back, silently panicking as he thought about the damage done to his beloved rifle.

"Try shooting at me now, you prick!" Ryoko smirked, feeling slightly too pleased with herself.

"I...I wa...wasn't trying t-t-too..." Ryoshi trails off in barely coherent Japanese.

"Liar!" Ryoko goes in for another barrage but is caught by surprise when Ryoshi closes the gap instead of dodging.

Ryoshi blocks the hook, grabs Ryoko's arm and jams his elbow in the crook of her neck. This gives Ryoshi enough leverage to start pushing Ryoko back with a running pace. Backpedaling just to stay standing, Ryoko in a desperation performs a takedown on Ryoshi, both of them falling to the ground in the process. Ryoshi catches himself with his hands and springs back up into a running pace, leaving Ryoko on the ground. A little too late in realizing that Ryoshi was trying to run away, Ryoko make's a break for it, following Ryoshi out the door.

It wasn't long before Ryoko caught up to Ryoshi. Seething with rage and frustration, Ryoko made a desperate swipe for Ryoshi's rifle which was still slung across his back. She grabs a hold of it and forcefully tugs on it, expecting to pull Ryoshi into a choke. Unfortunately, Ryoshi pulls a spin, slipping away from Ryoko's grasp but in the process, tearing off the U.S. Army Rangers patch off of his vest. Ryoshi gains a sizable lead while Ryoko loses hope of catching this mystery man.

"Shit!" Ryoko yelled angrily. She examines the patch, noticing the English lettering.

"We should take it to the President. He knows how to read English," Ringo said, appearing by Ryoko's side once again.

Ryoko didn't respond.

"Hey, you okay?" Ringo asks, a little concerned.

"He got away..." Ryoko mumbled angrily.

"Ahhhh...the one that got away..." Ringo said dreamily, "How romantic!"

"This isn't funny, Ringo!" Ryoko huffed, "C'mon, let's go home..."

Ryoshi ran as fast as he can without stopping, not caring about his cramping legs and the stitch in his side. He raced upstairs to his apartment and slammed the door behind him, taking extra care to lock both the door handle and the deadbolt.

_That was SO close...I'm never doing that again..._

Or so our little contractor thought, because the next day would be very interesting indeed...

Ryoshi collapsed face down on his bed, too lazy to remove his vest.

Meanwhile, Ryoko and Ringo approached the entrance to the Otogi Bank and traversed it's depths to the secret basement.

"What are you Ladies doing here? It's late," Alice said, not looking up from her laptop.

"We need to see the president!" Ryoko and Ringo yelled in unison.

"P-Pray tell, what's so urgent?" Alice said, a bit off kilter after having her eardrums assaulted.

"He's in his study, but he's probably busy!" Alice called after the pair, no running towards the back door to the President's study.

Lo and behold, the Prsident sat behind his desk, seated upon an ornate, Victorian leather chair, stacking a house of cards.

"Mr. President, we have a situation!" Ringo said, holding the patch in front of the President's face, knocking over the house of cards.

"Let's see what we have here," The President said, sighing at the lost progress.

"Ryoko ripped it off some guy who was tailing us, things kinda got a bit hairy..." Ringo trailed off.

"_U.S. Army Rangers...Lead the way..._" Liszt read out, examining the patch.

"In Japanese! What does it mean in Japanese!" Ryoko, who was now seated on the couch, anxiously asked.

"It's the sigil for the United States Army Rangers...peculiar...very peculiar..." Liszt contemplated the possible explanations.

"Could it have been anybody from Onigashima?" Ringo asked.

"Highly unlikely, not unless they're outsourcing to the JROTC, which I highly doubt. All of the recruits are exceptional men and women who would never associate themselves with those delinquents nor would they abandon their duties and use their training to become private contractors." The President rubbed his temples in thought.

"Well some bastard decked out in military gear tailed me and attacked me, and seeing as how they got away, they had some goddamn training!" Ryoko seethed.

"We'll look into this. Did you recover the bike?" The President said as he placed the patch in his desk drawer.

"It was probably another ruse to lure me out," Ryoko said, standing up to leave.

"I see...well, they're getting feistierby the day..." Alice appeared in the door way.

"Alice, can you search for any student with any military affiliations, whatsoever?"

"I've already started compiling a list," Said Alice, who was now sitting on the couch in Ryoko's vacant spot, typing away on her laptop.

"Oh and Mr. President! You might want to take a look at this," Ringo handed over the video camera to the President.

"Were you able to see his face?"

"He wore a balaclava," Ringo said.

"Well, whoever this is, he's a real professional!" Liszt, took out the memory card and plugged it into his own computer.

"Tch! It's not like he took out a room full of guys, he was hiding in the shadows missing his shots!" Ryoko scoffed.

"Thanks for your Mr. President!" Ringo said, dragging a miffed looking Ryoko out of the room.

Liszt summoned Majolica from her lab and started analyzing the video as soon as the two girls left.

"Standard MOLLE plate carrier, tinted shooting glasses, balaclava, and a camouflage boonie hat. He was prepared, What do you think, Alice?"

"Definitely some military training, look how he shoots and how he carries himself in close quarters. He knows his weapon very well, he can rapidly reload without fumbling for his magazines, and in this instance he has at least a ninety-eight percent shot accuracy. He can be a real threat..."

"His weapons...built of a standard platform, heavily upgraded, incredibly accurate...he's a technical genius..." Majolica inputted, jaw slightly ajar.

"Well I'm glad to see he helped Ryoko this time around but we don;t know whose side he's on, he can be a very dangerous adversary..." Liszt trailed off, closing his laptop.

Meanwhile, back in in Ryoko's and Ringo's apartment.

"That bastard is gonna get what's coming to him..." Ryoko trailed off before dozing off.

Ringo laughed silently to herself, enjoying the rare sight of her Okami-san so flustered and embarrassed.

"Goodnight Ryoko, sweet dreams," Ringo said, turning off the light and crawling into the top bunk.

At this moment in time, Ryoshi was seated at his desk, disassembling his rifle. Not entirely surprised, Ryoshi saw that his adjustable trigger, sears, and hop-up assembly were bent, dented, and snapped (respectively). Sighing, Ryoshi removed the broken parts and locked his rifle along with his tactical vest in a rifle box beneath his bed. Saddened, frustrated, and excited Ryoshi felt little need for sleep and instead sat at his desk, images of the tall brunette playing back in his mind.

_She was really cute..._

_I wonder who she is..._

Just the thought of confronting his impromptu crush sent a wave of anxiety crashing over him. Ryoshi rubbed his eyes and tried to control his hyperventilating. Needless to say, Ryoshi didn't get too much sleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryoshi sat at his desk, rubbing his temples in exasperation. The shop where he bought his aftermarket upgrade parts from was located in California. The parts themselves would be very costly indeed but factor in international shipping, extra handling charges, tracking, delivery confirmation, and insurance, it would cost him nearly an arm and a leg. He stared longingly at the locked hard case where his rifle now lay in an indefinite comma. When his rifle will arise from its stupor depends solely on how quickly he can earn the money to repair it. Ryoshi heaved a deep sigh and walked towards his closet and retrieved another locked hard case. He twisted the dial to input the number combination and opened the case to reveal sleek, short, black rifle with a folding stock and flip up iron sights. This rifle in question was in many ways superior to his R700 SBR. For one it was semiautomatic and not bolt action which meant the amount of rounds he can sling down range was much greater. It was also more viable in close quarters, allowing Ryoshi to rely less on his pistol. It was also CO2 powered which meant that in fast approaching winter months, the rifle would have less power, worse gas efficiency, and the magazines would be much heavier due to metal construction and additional weight of the CO2 canister. Unfortunately the rifle would be much louder as well. Not only would there be the sound of pressure escaping the barrel but the loud clink of the bolt as it cycled would no doubt add to the overall sound signature of the weapon. Alas, these were cons Ryoshi was willing to work around. So long as he had a rifle for the tournaments and if need be, self defense. If ever he crossed that lovely brunette with a hook that'd make Rocky blush. He racked a fresh magazine into the rifle and cycled the bolt manually. He would need to spend the day on a cleaning and lubrication routine as well as sighting in the rifle with whatever optic he chooses to place on the top rail.

On the other side of town in a small boxing gym by the river trail, Ryoko Okami was beating away at punching bag, several inches taller than her and at least twice as heavy. Each blow was accompanied with a very deliberate thud and an angry grunt from the wolf in question. She imagined she was elsewhere, at an abandoned warehouse for instance. She imagined that it was not a bag she was relentlessly beating, but a boy around her height, clad in camo and brandishing a rifle. Finally she projected a balaclava'd face, eye-level on the bag. She continued this for the next hour until her instructor interrupted her from her trance.

"You'll work yourself into a coma, kid. You should get some rest," He said, giving Ryoko a light pat on the head.

So she did. Ryoko tore the velcro off her boxing gloves and headed for the lockers where she packed her belongings. She exited through the back door and walked home looking forward to a nice, hot shower...that is until she saw it running towards her on the banks of the river trail. A man clad in camo, wearing a balaclava, with a rifle hanging from a one point sling. He was 100 yards away and closing the gap very fast.

_Shit shit shit...this is bad..._

One hour previously, Ryoshi was lying prone in the vacant lot next to his apartment building. The hop-up on his rifle was now tuned correctly, all moving parts were properly lubricated, the barrel has been cleaned of any excess lubrication and dirt, the seals on his magazines tightened, and his rifle sighted with a 3-9x magnification scope. Best part of it was, he had the rest on the saturday afternoon to himself. He walked back to his room, rifle in tow, stopping by the vending machine for a can of coffee. He walked up to his room, locked the door behind him and laid his rifle down on his bed, plopping down in his desk chair sipping on his coffee. Ryoshi enjoyed his time alone. The silence made it easier to think, allowing his thoughts to move freely as they so pleased. So one would think a sudden ruckus would disappoint our young operator...but not today. He wasn't at all surprised really. He pulled his camo pants over his boxers, his tactical vest over his shirt, and his balaclava over his head. Ryoshi loaded a magazine into his rifle and cycled the bolt, running out his door and down stairs into the alley way where he saw the same thugs from yesterday running towards the river trail.

Ryoko dropped her bag and slipped her gloves back on, ready to pummel the boy in front of him when…

"Behind you!" The boy in the camo said.

To her surprise, Ryoko turned her heels and looked behind her. Ten thugs brandishing all manner of improvised melee weapons were 30 yards from her and closing fast.

Ryoshi took a kneeling stance to stabilize his aim after the hard sprint. His Distance to Ryoko was now 20 yards while the group of baddies were 15 yards and closing. He would never reach her in time. Ryoshi started to shoot, 3 rounds per person, all of which hit in the head and neck area, instantly taking them down and making them writhe in pain. Ryoko on the other hand had one of them rushing her with a bat. She ducked the first swing and threw a left elbow right into his floating ribs. The next one would rush her with a knife which he would immediately drop after Ryoshi emptied the rest of his magazine into the man's hand. At this point Ryoshi was side by side with Ryoko. Ryoko punching faces and breaking bones while Ryoshi reloaded and resumed his 3 shots per head mantra. Soon they were down to one each, Ryoko easily dispatching her last man while Ryoshi pulled the trigger of rifle only to have it click on him...out of rounds and out of magazines...Ryoshi reached down to his right thigh to where his leg holster usually is, only to find it wasn't there. His assailant was now in striking range and raised his lead pipe and brought it down on Ryoshi's skull. Expecting a deep blinding pain that never came, Ryoshi opened his eyes to find the boy who had rushed him knocked out cold at the feet of a very pissed looking Ryoko Okami.

It was at this moment, Ryoshi realized it would be best to turn tail and run, but once again, too little too late. Ryoko had ungloved her hands and lunged for Ryoshi as he was turning. She grabbed him by the collar and tugged back with as much force her sore body can muster. She then proceeded to put him into a headlock which Ryoshi tried to escape from only to end up on the ground and straddled by a livid Ryoko.

"Right, you're gonna tell me who you are and what the HELL you were doing!" Roko said, raising a fist to the quivering Ryoshi who was now shielding his masked face with his hands.

"Get off him or me and my men will open fire," Ryoko looked up to find 6 people, clad in camo, all pointing airsoft rifles at her. The boy who spoke to her wore a buzz cut and spoke Japanese in a heavy American accent.

"Release him, this is my final warning," The boy said, aiming his rifle right between Ryoko's eyes.

Ryoko, seething with rage, begrudgingly got off Ryoshi, giving him a kick as she stood up.

"Fine! Take him back! Besides, what kind of cowards bring guns to a fist fight,"

"What did you just say?!" A girl with her hair tied into a neat bun interjected. _This one was native for sure._

"_It's all right, we got him, there's no need for anymore violence,"_ Said the group's leader said in English, "Thank you for your cooperation, miss Okami,"

The American helped Ryoshi off the ground, Ryoko already having walked away, "You, my friend, just survived an encounter with the wolf in sheep's clothing. How do you feel?"

"_Fine, thanks a lot," _Ryoshi extended his hand, _"Ryoshi Morino,"_

"_I know who you are, bud. Your old man saved my old man way back when. I guess you can say I'm just beginning to repay the favor," _The boy extended his hand out to Ryoshi, _"California native born and bred, William Hickock Jr. and this is Easy Company,"_ William pointed to the group who accompanied him.

"_JROTC?"_ Ryoshi asked.

"_Yes indeed, if you'd like you can accompany us back to the lodge, we can get this whole mess sorted out and maybe if you'd be so inclined, we can get your transfer papers sorted so we can put you back into our ranks,"_ William said, slinging Ryoshi's rifle over his shoulder.

"_I think I'd like that,"_ Ryoshi said with a smile.

Ryoko entered her and Ringo's small apartment and started to strip. _Christ...I need to ice my knuckles..._Ryoko held off on the shower for now and grabbed a bucket from beneath the sink, she filled it with ice and set it on her lap as she sat down on the couch. With a very audible hiss of pain, she sank her hands as far as they would go into the ice bucket.

"_So how did you know where to find me?"_ Ryoshi asked, a little curious.

"_I was contacted by your CO in Dallas before you arrived, we were suppose to meet up with you and get your transfer sorted out,"_ William walked up to an iron gate and pulled out a set of keys.

"_Ah, so who was that girl earlier?"_ Ryoshi asked stepping through the gate into a cement courtyard.

"_She is Ryoko Okami, that lovely brunette has a right hook that'd put Mike Tyson to shame," _William said with a slight chuckle, _"She's also part of the Otogi Bank, which we will get to in just a few moments,"_

"_Easy Company! You are all Dismissed! Thanks for your help, guys," _William saluted his company and entered the main building along with Ryoshi.

In the living area of the small concrete building sat a boy around Ryoshi's age who was wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt, black slacks, a black bow tie, and matching loafers. He sported a full head of blonde hair and a very warm but ominous smile.

"_Liszt, this is Ryoshi Morino,"_ William said, urging the two to shake hands.

"_Nice to meet Ryoshi!"_ Liszt said in perfect accentless english.

"_H-hi, how do you do?"_ Ryoshi said, taking the man's hand and shaking it gingerly.

"_I'm not a scary man, am I Wilhelm?"_ Liszt asked William in German.

"_Not at all, but as President of the Otogi bank you do exude a very intimidating aura,"_ William replied in equally perfect German.

Ryoshi stared at them both, completely confused.

"_Well Why don't I just introduce myself as 'Liszt'?" _

"This is President Kiriki of the Otogi Bank. He's with us here today to discuss a few things," WIlliam sat Ryoshi down beside him on the couch.

"Ryoshi Morino, sorry for the incoviniences I have caused!" Ryoshi said, bowing in apology.

"_Come now Ryoshi! We're all westerner's here, a handshake would suffice!" President Kiriki chuckled, extending his hand out to Ryoshi._

"_This is a beautiful country, no doubt about it, but I'm afraid there's not much cultural or ethnic diversity here. I'd be hard pressed to find an American to practice my English with let alone another German!" Liszt said, patting William's back._

"_So, if you'd all take a seat I'd like to open the table for discussion," Liszt retrieved a dossier from his satchel, "Now, quite an impressive track record you have here, my friend. Bilingual, military training, marksmanship commendations, spelling bee winner, top tenth percentile of every school you've attended. You, Ryoshi, have brains and braun! _

"_Thank you, Mr. President!" Ryoshi said, a little too quickly._

"_That being said I be absolutely delighted if you would come and work for me," Liszt said with a smile._

"_I would like to Mr. President but my place is with the JROTC. I'd like to file my transfer and resume my service," Ryoshi replied._

"_What'd I tell you? A sense of duty just like his old man!" William said with a slight chuckle, "Listen to me, bud. I'd love to have you but you're talents are just gonna go to waste here. What are you gonna day to day? PT, drills, marching, then you rinse and repeat, but when you work for Fuhrer Franz Liszt here, I think you'd do a lot more good. The Otogi Bank isn't a bank in the traditional sense. People make requests and then in return the bank helps them out so long as they promise to return the favor,"_

"_So kinda like the Godfather?" Ryoshi asked, starting to catch on._

"_Precisely! Except we'll never ask someone to bury a dead body in an unmarked grave!" Liszt said jokingly. _

"_Another thing is that the Otogi Bank is local. They have complete jurisdiction out here. We're just guests in this town. They can do things we can't," _

"_What do you say, Ryoshi?" Liszt said._

"_I...I'll do it!"_

"_Good! Now if you'd like, you can come back with me to the Otogi Bank and we can sort out your transfer," _

They said their goodbyes and Liszt and Ryoshi walked out of the small compound together. They exchanged small talk along the way, old stories here and there, political intrigue and foreign affairs.

"_So Mr. President, how is it you're able to speak German?" Ryoshi asked in english._

"_First of all Ryoshi, my friend, it's just Liszt! I'm just a bank president, not a foreign dignitary! Secondly, I am the bastard child of a German ambassador to Japan who fell in love with my mother. My mother insisted that I learn how to speak the tongue of the fatherland so I can, one day, find my father. Being a good son I oblidged and here I am," Liszt said a little too cheerily, "And you, my friend. You're from Texas, born and raised, but able to speak Japanese,"_

"_My parents were Japanese immigrants, it was spoken at home so naturally I picked up on it," Ryoshi said, still trying to digest the President's story. _

They deviated from the latter topic into more lighthearted ones and before they knew it they were at the decievingly small headquarters of the Otogi Bank.

"_Alright Ryoshi, my friend, as soon as we step inside we need to switch back to Japanese out of respect for my and your new colleuges. After you," Liszt said, holding the door open for Ryoshi. _

"Mister President! Back so soon!? Let me make you a cup of tea!" A long haired brunette appeared and started fretting.

"That won't be necessary Otsu! I'm quite alright but Ryoshi here just had a run in with those pesky bike thieves. I'm sure he'd like a refreshment after that," Liszt responded, "When he's done do you mind sending him to the meeting room?"

"Not at all Mr. President!" Otsu said with a bow.

"Good, I'll see you downstairs Ryoshi!" Liszt waved goodbye and descended a hidden staircase.

"So, what would you like to drink, Ryoshi?" Otsu asked, making her way to the small kitchen tucked away in the back of the main lobby.

"Umm...a glass of iced water if you please…" Ryoshi said timidly.

"You sure? Because we have a lot to choose from!"

"I'm fine...thank you Otsu!" Ryoshi said, averting his eyes slightly.

"Okay. Well here you are! The meeting room is just straight down the stairs. Welcome to the team, Ryoshi!" Otsu said cheerily, pointing Ryoshi to the right direction.

Ryoshi just nodded and swallowed. He'd be meeting _her_… and it scared him...scared him to his very core. Nonetheless, Ryoshi wanted to face it head on, whatever _it_ was. So he adjusted his rifle which was still slung over his shoulder and tugged on his balaclava which still hung around her neck. With a deep breath he opened the door and walked inside the room.

"Ladies and gentleman, This is Ryoshi Morino. The newest addition to our small family!" Liszt said, sitting behind a desk with a woman who bore the slightest resemblance to him at his side.

"H…h...hi everybody…" Ryoshi said nervously, looking down at his feet.

"This is the guy the beat up Ryoko? I don't believe it!" A young man with long white hair started laughing and writhing on the couch he was sitting in.

"Shut up Taro or I'll make sure you'll be eating through a straw the rest of your two timing life!" And there she was...glaring at the young man with white hair. The brunette who could knock out Chuck Norris…

Ryoshi swiftly looked away and planted his eyes back down to his feet.

"Don't worry, Ryoshi. Taro's a nice guy! You just need some time to get to know him!" Said the girl next to Taro. She was breathtakingly beautiful (quite literally since Ryoshi choked on his would be response).

"Sure! If Ryoko doesn't kill him first! I'm glad though! I'm not the only guy here now! Welcome to the team, friend," Taro said with a smile and a small wave.

"Now Ryoshi you're a man of the service. Give us an introduction and tell us a little about yourself!" Liszt said, smiling in anticipation.

"My name is Ryoshi Morino...JROTC Cadet Master Sergeant...uhh retired I guess...I'm from Austin, Texas…" Ryoshi started hesitantly.

"But you speak very good Japanese for an American," Said the serious looking woman standing next to Liszt.

"My parents were Japanese immigrants, so I kinda' picked up on the language real quickly…" Ryoshi responded, venturing forth and making eye contact.

"Ahh, this is my cousin Alice, if you're wondering" Liszt said, patting Alice on the back, much to her dislike.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Alice," Said Ryoshi, giving a slight bow.

"Hi Ryoshi! I'm Ringo!" Said a short girl sitting next Ryoko.

"Hi…" Ryoshi said, still avoiding eye contact with Ryoko.

"Don't worry about Ryoko, Ryoshi. She'll warm up to you eventually!" Ringo said optimisticly, giving Ryoshi a rather enthusiastic thumb up.

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" Ryoko shouted suddenly.

Ryoshi recoiled and covered his face with his hands instinctively.

"Well Regardless of how you all feel about dear Ryoshi over here, he'll be a key player in our little operation here and, if he so chooses, will be staying quite a long time!" Liszt said as he clapped his hands together, "Alrighty! Introductions are out of the way and with that our meeting is adjourned!"


End file.
